Re Do Thi Thuy

HCAL 2566/2018

[2022] HKCFI 1339

IN THE HIGH COURT OF THE

HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION

COURT OF FIRST INSTANCE

CONSTITUTIONAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE LAW LIST

NO 2566 OF 2018

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Before:  Deputy High Court Judge Bruno Chan in Chambers

Date of Hearing:  4 May 2022

Date of Decision:  18 May 2022

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D E C I S I O N

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1.On 12 August 2021 I refused to grant leave to the Applicant to apply for judicial review of the decision of the Torture Claims Appeal Board (“Board”) in rejecting/dismissing her appeal regarding her non-refoulement claim upon finding that none of her proposed grounds were reasonably arguable for her intended challenge, that there was no error of law or procedural unfairness in the process before the Director of Immigration (“Director”) or the Board or in their decisions, and that there was no reasonable prospect of success in her intended application.

2.The Applicant now by a summons issued on 30 September 2021 seeks extension of time to appeal against that decision, as the 14-day period for her to file her appeal under Order 53 rule 3(4) of the Rules of High Court, Cap 4A ended on 26 August 2021, and hence she was some 5 weeks late with her intended appeal.

3.In considering whether to extend time for appealing against a decision refusing leave to apply for judicial review, the Court shall have regard to (i) the length of the delay; (ii) the reason for the delay; (iii) the prospect of the intended appeal; and (iv) the prejudice to the respondent if an extension of time were granted: see Re MK HCMP 2609/2016, 10 January 2017; Chu On Fong Winter v The Appeal Panel (Housing) HCMP 982/2017, 20 July 2017; Islam Raja Rais v Director of Immigration HCMP 881/2017, 26 June 2017; Re Gurung Min Bahadur [2018] HKCA 226; and Re Saqlain Muhammad [2018] HKCA 346.

4.In the Applicant’s case, a delay of 5 weeks must be considered as very substantial or inordinate, for which she first explained in her supporting affirmation that she did not have the financial means to seek legal advice until later but by then she was already out of time, but at the hearing of her summons she stated that she had misplaced the decision after receiving it in the mail, and it was only later when she made enquiry with her immigration officer that she was told that she was already out of time to appeal.

5.The court record shows that the decision was sent on the same day to the Applicant’s last reported address without being returned through undelivered post, and whether it was a case of having to seek legal assistance or misplacing the decision or both, they were not proper or valid reasons for her such serious delay.

6.More importantly, the Applicant also failed to put forth any proper or valid draft or proposed grounds of appeal, or any particulars of any error in the decision or why it may reasonably be argued that the decision was unfair or unreasonable either in her summons or her affirmation, and at the hearing she could only repeat her claim that she still has her problem as before that she cannot yet return to her home country. As such and in the absence of any error in the decision being clearly and properly identified by the Applicant, I do not see any prospect of success in her intended appeal.

7.In the premises, and for the reasons given, it would be futile to extend time for what appears to be a hopeless appeal. I accordingly refuse her application for extension of time to appeal, and dismiss her summons.

The Applicant appeared in person